Better left Beyond Memory
by DarkLightShades
Summary: When the threat of evil magic reappears the Supreme Kai and the Z fighters must once again purge it from the universe. Discontinued
1. Prologue

**Better left Beyond Memory**

By Calathea

Author's Notes: Well here it is, my first Dragon Ball Z fanfic for your amusement and, hopefully, enjoyment. Before I begin, I'd just like to say a big "Thank You" to Neko-chan, for her inspiration and for beta-reading this thing for me, and to my sister Steph for prodding me into writing it in the first place. That said, on with the fanfic! Don't hesitate to leave a review or, if you feel so inclined, send an e-mail of your opinions, comments and criticisms. I don't bite!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Ball Z series, or any of its' characters. I just 'borrow' them for my own entertainment.

**Prologue**

The dark cavern offered no welcome to the stranger stalking through its' depths. For more than a year the cavern had known no other sign of life other than the lowest of rodents. Even now it seemed to try and deny the existence of the intruder by swathing his form in shadows, the walls absorbing the slight sound of the creatures' mumbling.

"...Thought he was so smart...that no one would ever find it..." he muttered to himself, voice rising and falling with irritation.

He moved purposely over the floor of the treacherous passage, and never missing a step, despite the lack of light. Finally he slowed, face set in a mask of concentration as he studied the wall alongside him. Eventually he found a narrow crevice in the rock, and with a short cry of triumph, reached in to flick the switch hidden there.

A harsh grinding noise filled the air, and a section of the wall slid open to reveal a small chamber. Grinning in anticipation, the creature stepped into the room, calling fourth a ball of light as he did so. Inside was the strangest collection of items one could ever hope to find, a collection that had been amassed over the impressive lifetime of their former owner.

A collection that now belonged to him.

With an expression that was half glee, half wonder, he walked around the room, hands caressing every object. Statues made from solid gold, fine jewelry, gems of unimaginable wealth... he could hardly believe his good fortune. Having explored all the treasure, he was then drawn to the far corner of the small room. There the darkness had hidden one last object, which he approached with confusion. Unlike the lavish treasures that adorned the rest of the room, it was a simple wooden chest. Strange symbols adorned its' sides, but otherwise it was simple, even crude, in appearance.

Curiosity overtook him. Kneeling down, he carefully pushed back the lid, expecting at best more gold and riches, and at worst a clever trap designed to kill anyone who opened it. He found neither.

"Books," he said in disgust, fully opening the lid. What use were books compared to the other treasures in the room?

Idly he picked one up and scanned its' title, and froze in surprise. He read it again just to be sure, then frantically flipped through its' pages to see if they verified the claim. Hastily he picked up another, and another, each increasing his excitement. Finally he set the books down and laughed, a laugh that edged between hysteria and madness.

_This _was the true treasure of the chamber, and it was all his.

***


	2. Chapter 1

**Better left Beyond Memory******

**Chapter 1**

Kaiobit searched the landscape around him bleakly. What had once been a lively village was now ruin. The townsfolk lay dead in the streets. There were no signs of life.

"I was too late," he hissed to himself.

The destruction of this town was as complete as all the others. Only a few hours ago a strange force had come to this world and began a systematic destruction of all the cities. Normally this would have not have required his presence, the gods were encouraged not to interfere in mortal affairs, but this case was different. The powers growing here were an unsettlingly familiar force that he thought had been banished from the universe.

Magic.

The last person to control this waning power had been Babidi, son of Bibidi, who had used it to resurrect Majin-Buu. Since then Kaiobit had thought, or perhaps hoped, that the ability had been lost by the mortal realms. Unfortunately it seemed at least one person still retained the knowledge of how to harness the energies, and he was here to assess the threat this person posed.

Choosing a random direction he began to search for any clues that might lead him the rogue magician, hopefully before he struck again and another town was destroyed.

The wind howled unnaturally loud in the deserted streets. Whoever had caused such destruction had been either indiscriminant about their targets, or out of control. Buildings and other harmless objects showed the marks of this person's wrath as much as the townsfolk did. But as inanimate objects held a better imprint of the magic than people did Kaiobit was able to find the freshest trail easily. It led him to what appeared to be the center of the town. Bleakly, he realised the people of this planet had tried to make one last stand against the intruder here. They hadn't stood a chance, and their charred remains littered the small square. 

Biting back his disgust, he tried to pick up the trail again, carefully stepping over the dead as he made his way around the square. It was hard work with all the residual life energy of the townsfolk still lingering in the air, and at first he thought he had made a mistake. Checking again he realised he hadn't. The trail he was following stopped here, the magician hadn't left.

"So, you finally arrived. I thought I might have had to blow up a few more cities to get your attention," the smug voice startled him.

He whipped his head around, locating the source of the voice. Stepping out of the shadows between two buildings, the magician revealed himself. He was a head taller than Kaiobit, his skin was blue/gray in colour and his dark hair came down to his shoulders. His features were sharp, slitted yellow eyes glared out while the hint of a smirk curled his lips. His most unusual feature was the ram-like horns that sprouted from his temple and curled around the sides of his head.

The Magicians' smirk widened. "You are the caretaker of the universe?" His eyes appraising Kaiobit's appearance, "I thought this would be more of a challenge."

Kaiobit was surprised the creature knew who he was, but reaming silent. He hadn't intended to fight this creature, but now that he was confronted it seemed to be a better alternative to teleporting away and leaving him to destroy what was left of this planet.

The magician was completely unlike Bibidi and his son, both in race and appearance. Both the former magicians had been physically weak, with no ki to speak of, but strong in magic. This creature was an interesting mix of all three attributes, master of none, but skilled in all. He had the height and build of a fighter, and the control he kept over his energy suggested he knew how to channel it properly, but the most worrying was the aura of dark magic that surrounded him. Kaiobit was suddenly unsure of who would win the inevitable fight. Their physical strengths were about even and his opponent was weaker in ki than he was, and not as powerful a mage as Bibidi, but the sheer range of skills he had access to might become a problem.

While he was thinking all this, the Magician had come closer, grinning in anticipation. "Oh how rude of me not to introduce myself. I am Darela," he gave a mocking bow before sliding into a fighting stance. "Shall we begin?"

Without further word he charged, aiming a punch at Kaiobit's face. Surprised by the sudden movement, he only just managed to dodge the blow, allowing the other to sweep past him. Without losing a beat, Darela performed a sharp turn and lunged forward for another attack. This time the Kai powered up his ki and fired a small blast at his oncoming opponent, who jumped aside at the last second.

"So you have some fight in you after all," Darela mused as they faced off again.

"More than enough to get rid of you," Kaiobit hissed in return.

"We shall see."

This time Darela attacked with full force. Punches, kicks and the occasional ki blast flew at high speeds towards Kaiobit, who managed each time to duck or block, and even return a few blows of his own which Darela had much less success in avoiding. It seemed as though he was winning, but he was wary of the fact that Darela had yet to use his magic, which would have obviously put the Kai at a disadvantage. It was almost as though he was being tested.

Finally, Darela made a mistake and overbalanced, leaving himself open to the powerful kick Kaiobit aimed at his chest. The Magician was knocked back several meters into a wall, which showered dust and rubble onto the injured fighter. However, he wasn't down for long and quickly staggered to his feet, clutching his chest.

"Not bad," Darela panted, winded from the blow. He was fairly sure the other had managed to break a few of his ribs, and cursed himself for underestimating him. He had hoped to overpower the Kai without resorting to extreme measures, but now it didn't look like he had a choice.

"So be it," he hissed softly and began to chant the words of a spell.

Kaiobit, realizing what he was doing, tried to reach the mage before the spell was complete but he was too late. He felt his limbs become heavy, moving became a challenge, and it was only force of will that kept him standing at all. Taking advantage of his opponents' weakness, Darela suddenly appeared behind the Kai and wound an arm around him to hold him in place. A moment later he could only gasp in pain as Darela plunged a knife into his side and began to chant another spell softly in his ear.

Still immobilized by the first spell, Kaiobit was helpless to the assault. He took a quick glimpse at the knife still in his side, and was horrified by the symbols engraved on its surface. The Magician was using the knife to channel his power, increasing its' potency, and he was beginning to feel the effects of the magic working it's way into his body.

It started as a slight tingling on his skin, but quickly escalated to a fierce burning sensation. It felt as though he was burning alive, with the knife as the source of the flames. The pain increased as Darela's chanting became stronger and louder, and Kaiobit felt an attack on his mind begin as well as that on his body. White-hot power tore through his thoughts and although he attempted to resist, he was unable to concentrate with the fiery heat that enveloped him. 

The magic slowly became more focused, and seemed to migrate to an invisible line down the center of his body before increasing in intensity again, and Kaiobit was sure he was going to be split in two. He could feel himself begin to pass out from the pain and absurdly wondered what would happen to the universe if the last of the Kaioshin were eradicated. He distantly heard Darela finish the chant and felt a last surge of power rip through him before the world went black.

***

Friends, family and food. Surrounded by these, Goku could die a happy man. 

To keep the ties of friendship strong, Chi-Chi and Bulma delighted in organizing an annual 'get-together' for the Z fighters and their families. Most of the ever-growing clan was present. Piccolo, as always, had refused the invitation, despite Gohan's pleadings, insisting he would not feel comfortable surrounded by so many people. Yamcha had also pleaded a rain check, claiming to have another commitment; one Goku suspected might have something to do with his current girlfriend.

Vegeta had shown up, which was surprising. He'd arrived with Bulma, a mask of irritation on his face. To Goku's surprised scrutiny he had simply said, "Don't give me that look, Kakarot. I'm only here for the food," and had stalked off until said food had been dished out.

And there was _a lot_ of it.

In anticipation of the large number of people they had to feed, not to mention the infamous Saiyan appetite, Bulma and Chi-Chi had spent the last few days preparing for the occasion in the Son houses' kitchen. Chi-Chi had done the cooking while Bulma made the trips into town for the ingredients, cleaned, and fended off the occasional hungry Saiyan from their domain.

But now the fruit of their efforts was displayed in all its' glory across the hastily setup picnic tables. The location for the event was out in the wilderness, away from civilization to protect people from the oddities and general strangeness that seemed to plague the Z fighters.

No sooner had the last plate been set out then the hungry swarm descended on the food, while those with less demanding stomachs hastily got out of their way. Chi-Chi sighed. Her good cooking was entirely wasted on those who only cared about the quantity of food.

Videl, still new to the strangeness that was the Z fighters watched the Saiyans and Human-hybrids with a look of awe. Between them, Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Goten and Trunks were devouring enough food to feed an army. It was a fascinating, yet unsettling sight. 

Seeing her stunned expression, Krillin slyly nudged her with his elbow. "Amazing isn't it?" he remarked.

She nodded distractedly, eyes still on the spectacle, "I don't think I'm ever going to get used to this."

"You will. It just takes time," he reassured her before going to sit with his family.

Finally tearing her eyes off the ravenous Saiyans, she took a seat between Bulma and Master Roshi, deciding it was safer than sitting with Gohan who was currently fighting with his brother over a bowl of rice. Instead she tried to concentrate on her own food, when it suddenly shifted under her gaze. Blinking, she looked again, and realised that it was not only the food, but everything around her seemed to loose its' solidity for a moment. The world rippled and distorted, as if she were viewing it underwater.

A brief glance around showed she was not the only one affected. Krillin and Eighteen had paused over their meals, masks of concentration on their faces while Maron looked about in confusion, searching for something that wasn't there. Chi-Chi, Bulma and Ox-King slowly became quiet, conversation dying in the face of this strange phenomenon.  Most noticeably, the Saiyans had paused in their feeding frenzy, heads tilted as if listening to a far away noise. Suddenly she realised she _could_ hear something in the unnatural silence that had fallen over the group. A far off cry of pain that seemed to increase in intensity, then as abruptly as it had started, it stopped.

With an abrupt jerk, reality reasserted itself and objects became solid again. The sound of birds chirping in the woods seemed overloud after the bizarre quiet.

"What was that?" Goten was the first to find his voice. The small boy looked around as though the answer would suddenly present itself.

Goku was frowning, an uncharacteristic look of seriousness on his features, "I don't know son."

Videl didn't know whether to be relieved or worried that nobody else knew what had happened either.

"It was probably nothing," Bulma's tone was light, but she looked unconvinced.

"Anyway, whatever it was can probably wait until after lunch," Chi-Chi confirmed with more conviction than she felt, but the ice was broken as the Saiyans, reminded of the feast before them, continued where they left off. Slowly, the rest of the group relaxed and conversation returned.

Videl, however, remained uncertain, "Shouldn't somebody go and check it out? It might be serious," She said quietly to Master Roshi, not confident enough to announce her thoughts to the rest of the group.

The old man gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder, "Don't you worry my dear. Whatever it is, if it's serious enough, it'll come to us."

Frowning, she let the matter be. Trouble had a way of gravitating to the strange group of fighters around her. She only hoped they could handle it when it did.

***

The air was still hazy with residual magic when Darela could once again focus on his surroundings. He hadn't expected such a backlash from the spell's conclusion, and the explosion had separated him and his opponent. Scrambling to his feet he quickly located his foe, and stared in amazement at his handiwork. 

"I did it," he murmured, amazed.

The spell had been an ambitious one, considering his relative lack of experience of using the high level spells. He doubted he could have done it without the aid of the knife to focus his powers. Reminded, he picked up the instrument that had flown from his grasp during the explosion. It was streaked in soot, but otherwise unharmed.

A muffled groan caught his attention. The Kai was lying a few feet away, curled protectively around the wound in his side. _He's recovering fast_, Darela thought to himself. He walked over to him, admiring the changes his spell had wrought.

The god blinked groggily, trying to remember what had happened. His whole body ached, and he was struck by the nagging feeling that something was wrong. Moving stiffly, he tried to sit up, but weakness prevented him from doing so. A mere trickle of energy was all he had left.

Approaching footsteps captured his hazy attention, and a moment later Darela was looming over him. Memory of the spell returned to him, and he tried to force his tired body to stand, or at least back away from the Mage, to no effect. One large step brought the mage back into striking range, though he didn't attack. _Is it just me_, the Kai thought, _or does he seem bigger than before?_

In a moment of clarity, he realised why. Darela was not larger, but he was now smaller. A quick brush of his hand through his hair revealed, not the long white tresses he had become used to, but a spiky mohawk. His vest had also become blue, just as it had been before he had fused.

Seeing the confusion on his face, Darela smirked. "I hope you enjoy the effects of my little spell. You see I think you'll be much easier to handle in that form."

No longer Kaiobit, Kaioshin realised he was right. In his fused form he may have stood a chance against this monster, but now he was in his previous form he didn't have a hope, even if he were at his best, which he wasn't. Grinning savagely, the Magician reached for him, but was distracted by a sudden blow to his shoulder.

"Don't touch him," a voice hissed.  Turning around, Darela faced his attacker.

"Kibito," Kaioshin whispered, looking at his bodyguard and former fusion partner. The larger Kai had thrown a rock at the mage to distract him, and was attempting to stand with as little success as Kaioshin had. The god could see his friend was as weakened as he himself was.

"Well, well. The loyal guard dog," Darela snarled, glaring. He had forgotten that as a result of reversing the fusion, he would be facing another opponent. However, this one would be no trouble. "Unfortunately," the Magician said, his features reverting back to their more normal smirk, "I have no use for you. You will die here."

A look of horror betrayed Kaioshin's face, but Kibito only glared defiantly at the mage, before his eyes slid to meet the Gods'. Anger flared in the smaller being as he realised Kibito was going to try and stand against Darela, even if it meant his own death.

_You will not do this_, he told Kibito telepathically. The other gave no indication that he was listening, but Kaioshin knew he had heard. Frowning at his friend's stubbornness he gathered all the energy he could spare and _shoved _it at Kibito, forcing him to take it.

_Leave! Now!_ And although the bodyguard struggled against it, he was unable to refuse a direct command from the highest of the Gods. His face twisted in anger and despair, he teleported away from danger.

Sighing in relief that at least Kibito was safe, he found himself under the harsh glare of Darela. "You helped him escape!" the Magician hissed, eyes dark with fury. A vicious kick sent Kaioshin sprawling in pain, having re-ignited the agony in his side. Stalking over to the prone form, he wrapped his hand around the much shorter Kai's throat and lifted him up to eye level.

Kaioshin could only struggle weakly, having given the last of his energy to Kibito, but as a last resort he stabbed at his enemies mind with a weak telepathic blast. Surprisingly, the Magician wasn't expecting it and stumbled, almost dropping Kaioshin. The attack hadn't done much damage but a wave of unfamiliar memories had leaked out, and the God was surprised by what he read in them.

Darela recovered quickly, and quickly erected his magic as a shield over his mind. "Not a bad effort, but not good enough." Chanting a quick spell, Kaioshin slumped unconscious in his grasp by a magically induced sleep.

Frowning at the unexpected complications and delays in his plan, Darela then chanted the spell that would transport them both back to his tower so he could initiate the next step of his plan.

***

An unfamiliar presence had appeared on the watchtower. Dende frowned, as if today hadn't been strange enough. Warily, he began to make his way to the outer platform where the energy originated. It was only a faint signal, and he was so absorbed in following it, he didn't notice a much closer and more familiar presence until said person put a hand on his arm, startling him.

"Piccolo," the smaller Namek yelped, "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry," Piccolo replied, removing his hand now he had gotten the Guardian's attention.

Dende had figured Piccolo would come to the tower looking for an explanation to the odd disturbance that had taken place not long ago. Unfortunately, he had no answers to give, as it had not originated on Earth, but from a greater source. Instead he turned to more immediate matters.

Indicating the entrance to the outer platform he said, "There's someone out there." He hoped the warrior would accompany him, just in case the visitor turned out to be less than friendly. Nodding grimly, Piccolo led the way with Dende on his heels. He too had noticed the presence on the upper floor. In fact it felt sort of familiar, but his normally good memory was drawing a blank as to who it might be.

They emerged onto the wide balcony of the tower, blinking in the brightness. The intruder was making no effort to hide himself, and was sitting, eyes shut, in a meditative pose in the center of the platform.

"Kibito?" Piccolo exclaimed, shocked.

"You know him?" Dende whispered back, but the stranger had heard Piccolo quiet comment and opened his eyes to regard the two Nameks.

He inclined his head in acknowledgement, "Piccolo."

"B-but you were...?" It surprised Dende to see his mentor lose his composure.

Kibito shook his head, a deep pain in his eyes. "Not anymore," he said, reflexively clutching the wound in his side, identical to the one Shin had retained after their fusion had dissolved.

Seeing this, Dende lost any reservations he had for this character. He needed healing, and this Dende could provide. Coming out of hiding from behind Piccolo's cape, he strode forward to meet the large being.

"I could heal that for you, if you like," he offered shyly. Kibito's stern expression melted into one of gratitude. Lifting his arm out of the way, he allowed the small guardian access to the wound as Piccolo looked on, trying to reorganize his thoughts. The instant Dende placed a hand on the wound, he could feel something was wrong. The wound was not made by any normal weapon, but by a much darker force he had hoped never to see again.

"Magic?" he gasped, startling Piccolo from his musings. The older Namek looked at the bodyguard searchingly for confirmation. 

Kibito nodded tiredly, "Yes. Magic is present in the universe again." With a determined look, Dende resolutely began to heal the wound, although the taint of magic made the process much more difficult than usual.

Kibito held Piccolo's gaze. "Perhaps it would be best if you were to summon Goku and the other fighters," he suggested to the warrior. "I believe we will need their help in dealing with this new threat." The Kai's eyes drifted close as he finally succumbed to exhaustion.

Brow furrowed in thought, Piccolo considered this new information. Even if this new magician wasn't backed by the power of Majin-Buu, if he could overpower the Supreme Kai so easily he was a potential threat to the Earth, and the universe. 

Apparently he would have a reunion with the Son family after all.

***

Videl immediately picked up on the subtle change in Gohan's body language. The last of the food had been devoured in a surprisingly short amount of time, and everyone had more or less forgotten about the strange occurrence during lunch and had settled down to laze in the midday sun.

The peace was not destined to last, however, as Videl noticed her boyfriend stiffen slightly in response to something she was unaware of. At the same time Goku and Vegeta also seemed to tense. A few seconds later, the reaction seemed to pass.

"Well," Goku said brightly, sitting up from where he had been lying in the grass. "Looks like we get to save the world again."

Vegeta nodded, coming out of his usual indifference to join the other Saiyan. Gohan had a huge anticipatory grin on his face, looking exited at the prospect of a challenge... Whatever it was.

"Just where do you think you're going," Chi-Chi growled at her husband.

"Sorry honey, this is important," and he quickly kissed her goodbye and flew off before se could get another word in, knowing it was the best way to deal with her. Vegeta powered up and followed a moment later, but Gohan was compelled to stay a moment at Videl's confused look.

"What's going on?" she asked, capturing his hand with her own and squeezing it briefly. Obviously, wherever he was going she wouldn't be able to keep up, otherwise he would have invited her to join him.

"Dende asked us to come to the Watchtower," he tapped his forehead to indicate a telepathic instruction. "He says it's important," he looked at her regretfully, but she could see deep down he was exited by the prospect of trouble.

She managed to conjure an understanding look to hide her disappointment that they wouldn't be spending the day together. "Of course. Have fun!" She playfully punched his arm.

He smiled, "I will." He glanced over her shoulder at Krillin who had been listening in nearby. "Take care of them Krillin."

The small fighter nodded, but his face was tinged with regret. He wouldn't be coming with them this time. "Just don't blow up the universe or anything," he said as a parting shot to the Saiyan, who saluted playfully before racing off to catch up with the others.

Videl sighed, hoping she would see him, safe and whole, again soon.

***


	3. Chapter 2

**Better left Beyond Memory******

**Chapter 2**

"Hey! Dende! We're here!" Goku called out cheerfully as the Saiyans touched down of the outer platform of the Watchtower.

"We noticed," a low voice growled from nearby. Goku turned to find Piccolo leaning statue still against a wall.

"Piccolo! What are you doing here?" Gohan asked, happy to see his mentor.

"I came here to find out what that strange disturbance was earlier," he pinned the Saiyans with an intense look, "I'm rather surprised you didn't."

"Uh..." Gohan squirmed under the Nameks' gaze while Goku scratched his head in self-deprecation, confirming the green warrior's suspicion that they had been eating. Food was one of the only things that could distract a Saiyan from a potential challenge.

"So what's up?" Gohan asked.

Piccolo gestured to a nearby doorway from which Dende was emerging onto the platform; along with the last person they had expected to see.

"Kibito?" Goku and his son exclaimed, almost in unison, and even Vegeta registered surprise.

The large man nodded. He had managed to recover some of his strength while waiting for the fighters to arrive with the help of Dende, but he was still far below what he would normally be, even before he had been Kaiobit. At least, he thought with relief, the wound in his side was closed, and he had materialized himself a new uniform to replace the one that had been torn and stained with blood. Although he looked and felt better, he was still troubled by the lingering emptiness that had existed within him since he had unfused. He also was not looking forward to swallowing his pride and asking for help from these mortals.

"What's this all about? What happened to Shin?" Gohan asked in confusion, not noticing Kibito wince briefly at the mention of Shin. Piccolo, who had heard parts of the story already, deferred to Kibito.

Taking a breath, the large man told him all he knew of the incident. He retained the shared memories of his time as Kaiobit, though his voice faltered when he spoke of the spell that had broken the fusion. It had been a strange experience, to lose the greater part of yourself, but at the same time to find himself the sole director of his actions again. Though they had been one person, Shin had been the dominant personality in the fusion.

"I don't get it. Why unfuse you in the first place?" Goku frowned in thought.

Kibito shrugged, "I assume it was to weaken Kaioshin enough to take him prisoner."

"But why?" The Saiyan asked again, "I mean I know he's the Supreme Kai and all but other than that… I mean he's strong, but not the strongest fighter there is. Nor does he have any particular techniques that a magician would find useful… that I know of anyway."

Piccolo snorted in either amusement or disbelief, while Kibito regarded him with surprise.

"Being the Supreme Kai is more than just a title," He spluttered, amazed that the Saiyan knew so little. "Kaioshin's energy is tied in to the universe itself! He alone has the power to direct the course the future and maintain the balance between good and evil. I'd imagine anyone with a lust for power would seek to covert this ability."

Goku processed this thought, "Oh. So that ripple thing earlier…"

Kibito nodded, Piccolo had described the strange disturbance to him earlier, "Was caused by the dramatic weakening of Kaioshin's power when we were unfused."

"Well if this ability is as special as you say it is, why couldn't it have been used to prevent Buu from rising in the first place," Vegeta spoke up for the first time.

"It's not as simple as that. Back when all five Kaioshin were alive, they were encouraged to interfere with mortals as little as possible. The minute adjustments they made to keep the universe in balance went unnoticed, and they never had to directly interfere and eventually their presence faded back into myth," Kibito sighed before continuing, "When Bibidi created Majin-Buu, the Kaioshin assumed that soon his reign would end, and the balance would be restored, as it always had been. However, they underestimated the destructive power of Buu, and the fact that Bibidi somehow knew of their continued existence and would seek to destroy them."

Making sure the Saiyans were still following him he continued, "After that disaster, Shin was the only one left alive, and has since been required to watch the entire universe, not just one quadrant. Obviously he cannot be everywhere at once, and certain details managed to escape him, such as Babidi's existence and his intention to resurrect Buu. By the time we realised what was happening here, it was too late to try and prevent the events from taking place with passive adjustments to the future. Our only hope was to come here and change this worlds fate ourselves," he fell silent; the Saiyans knew how the rest of that story unfolded.

While the others digested the information, Piccolo asked the next obvious question, "So what are we going to do about it?"

Kibito looked briefly at each warrior, "I was hoping you would accompany me on a rescue." His eyes unfocused for a moment as he directed his concentration inward, "I can take us to where he is, though I can only make one trip at this time. If you decide to come with me you cannot change your mind and come back. However, you must not take too long to think about it, I don't want to leave Kaioshin with that monster any longer than necessary."

"You don't even need to ask. I'm in!" Goku proclaimed.

"Me too," added Gohan, and Piccolo nodded his affirmation.

Kibito turned his attention to Vegeta, who snorted and said, "Well I can hardly let Kakarot have all the fun," his lips curling into a sinister smile.

"Then it is settled," Kibito smiled in relief. He did not believe he could have succeeded on his own.

"Are you sure _you_ will be all right," Dende, who had faded into the background during the earlier discussions, asked the bodyguard quietly. He alone seemed to realise how deeply Kibito's weakness really lay.

"I will be fine, young one," he answered back, but was touched by the small Nameks' concern. He didn't bother to mention that, regardless of whether he really was fine or not, he had to go, for Shin's sake.

"Lets go!" Goku enthused, having missed the short exchange. Nodding briefly to the Guardian of Earth, Kibito called upon the power that would take them to Kaioshin. In a brief flash of light, they vanished from the watchtower.

***

Darela looked up from the ancient tome he was reading to glare at the servant who had entered the chamber, disturbing his concentration.

"Master," the servant bowed meekly, "The others have returned with the energy you requested."

"Excellent. Have them bring it here immediately," He waved a dismissive hand at the servant who bowed again, and left.

He turned back to the book he was reading and tried to focus on the words. The fading text depicted the ancient ceremony he was going to attempt. The one that would allow him to absorb the power from Kaioshin, and allow him to inherit all the abilities the small god possessed. The ritual would require perfect timing and concentration, unfortunately in his growing anticipation he was unable to concentrate on the instructions and with a grunt of disgust, he tossed the book back onto his desk.

It didn't matter, he had already memorized its' pages. He just wanted to be absolutely sure there was nothing he had forgotten. One mispronounced word or wrong gesture meant not only the failure of the spell, but its' power reflected onto himself with messy and fatal consequences.

A hesitant knock on the door preceded the entrance of one of his minions. Carrying the strange syringe-like container that housed the energy they had stolen, he was slightly short of breath from the exertion of carrying it quickly up the long winding staircase that lead to Darela's study at the top of the tower. The minion placed the container gently on the floor before quickly retreating from sight. His Masters' temper had been more unpredictable of late, and it was far safer to stay out of his path as much as possible.

Gleefully, the Magician retrieved the strange device and, positioning the end with the thin tube against his skin, began to replace the energy he had lost during the battle with Kaiobit. He needed to be at full strength when the ceremony began, and he admittedly had lost more energy in the fight then he had meant to.

He pulled the device away and flexed his power experimentally. It was back to full strength, with the exception of one tiny trickle of power he used to maintain the sleep spell over Kaioshin. The god lay peacefully on an altar in the center of the room, almost as though he was truly at rest. The only hint of his true affliction was the occasional furrowing of his brow as his unconscious mind fought against the spell.

Darela idly wandered over to the altar, peering down at the purple being. Truly, it was strange that such a harmless looking being was considered one of the most powerful in the universe. One with powerful allies too, the Magician mused, remembering all he had heard of the Majin-Buu disaster. The powerful monster had apparently been defeated by an unexpected and unknown group of powerful fighters from a backwater planet occupied with relatively weak creatures, after listening to the Kai's plea for help.

He wondered if these fighters were on their way here now, remembering how Kaioshin's fusion partner had escaped. Perhaps he had managed to make it to their planet to enlist their assistance once again. For a moment he was paralyzed by a terrible imagined future of their arrival, before he shook it off as silly. This planet had a few surprises of its' own that would slow down any invaders, and he had gathered enough guards, weak as they were, to defend his tower until the ritual was complete.

He had only to wait for the planet to be in correct alignment, when the latent magic of this world to be at it's strongest, before he could begin. And then it would be too late for anyone to stop him.

***

The sudden cold was the first indication of their arrival. Gohan wrapped his arms around himself, wishing their enemy had chosen a warmer place to hide. He looked around briefly, taking in the barren landscape. It was dark, and a wall of clouds obscured the sky, rumbling menacingly overhead. The ground underfoot was some sort of obsidian rock, and there was no sign of either vegetation or animals. In fact it was barren of any life at all, which made the young Saiyan frown.

"Hey, I thought we were going to where Shin was."

Kibito looked around, equally bewildered. He had thought he had calculated their position correctly, but was it possible in he weakened state he had made an error? He stretched out his senses, but was surprised to encounter some kind of barrier that prevented him from detecting anything that was more than a few meters away.

"There is… some sort of energy field here that must have interfered with my teleportation," he said slowly, "However, I do believe we are on the right planet."

"Is it magic?" Piccolo asked, having encountered the barrier himself.

Kibito thought about it for a moment. "No. It appeared to be a natural phenomenon, generated by the planet itself. It will make our search more difficult though."

"Then I suggest we start over there," Goku pointed. The others followed his gaze to see a collection of lights some distance away, the only signs of habitation.

"It does seem the most likely course of action," Piccolo agreed, and Vegeta merely shrugged his indifference.

"Then lets go," Gohan said, readying himself to take flight, then, a moment of confusion later he straightened. "I can't fly," he said, surprised.

"What?" Vegeta barked, and tried it himself, as did the others.

"He's right," Goku said, staring at his feet, which by all rights should have been floating above the ground.

Vegeta snarled, "This is ridiculous," before transforming to his Super Saiyan form. He managed to levitate only a few feet before he realised it wasn't worth the energy he was wasting, and dropped lightly back to the ground, returning to his usual self.

"It appears it is not just our senses this energy field blocks," Kibito said gravely.

"Looks like we have to walk," Goku added ruefully.

The distance they had to cover, normally a 2-minute flight, took much longer to cover on the ground, even at the fast pace they set. It was impossible to run as they soon discovered the ground was a myriad of shallow holes, hidden by the darkness and the rocks' own black colouring. The strange field quickly absorbed any form of light they tried to produce, and the group was forced to make their way as quickly as possible in the dark.

Finally they reached their destination, and crouched low to the ground they crept closer for a better look. A large tower made from the same dark rock of the ground had been painstakingly built to loom above the landscape. A low wall was raised around it as a meager offering of defense, and guards of many different species were posted around it, though many seemed bored and inattentive. Unfortunately, to reach the tower they had to cross a large space of open ground where they would surely be noticed by even the most distracted guards.

A wisp of recognition nagged at Kibito, and he searched his memories for it's meaning. Something… something connected with Majin-Buu. Then he realised why it seemed so familiar. 

"Bibidi's tower," he gasped quietly to himself.

He had never seen it, but Kaioshin had, and somehow he retained the others' memories of a time even before they had fused. The god had come here alone after he had killed Bibidi, to destroy any record of Buu's creation so there could never be another like him. Although he had managed to destroy those records, he had not been able to find any of Bibidi's other works. In particular, his tomes of the ancient art of magic had been notoriously absent, and these had apparently found their way into his sons' possession.

Kaioshin had also realised that the strange field was a side effect of the increased magical energies that existed on that planet, and guessed that was why Bibidi had chosen this planet on which to conduct his experiments. Kibito was unsure whether this information would be useful or not, though it did explain why Darela had chosen to come here.

The group withdrew a short distance away so as not to worry about being seen or overheard.

"So what's the plan?" Gohan asked, itching to get started.

"There's no way we can hope to get past them undetected. We should just launch a frontal assault and take as many of them out as possible," Vegeta said, just as eager for some action, even against unworthy opponents, after the frustratingly slow journey across the empty landscape.

"I agree," Goku put in, "We'll get past them as quickly as possible and into the tower to find Shin."

"Assuming he's in there," Piccolo muttered, but didn't object.

"There are sure to be reinforcements inside," Kibito rumbled, not liking the plan, but knowing there were no alternatives.

"Too bad you won't get that far," a new voice hissed.

The fighters turned in surprise to regard the new arrival that had somehow managed to sneak up on them. So used to simple sensing for the presence of others, they had forgotten to keep watch for any patrolling guards.

There were eight of them in all, and looked like nothing more than large lizards that managed to walk upright. Their scales ranged in hues of green and brown, and were equipped with an assortment of mismatched armor and weapons.

The leader, identified by a decorative helmet, brandished his spear at them threateningly. "You will come with us," he said, confident that the motley group of fighters would give in as he had the advantage of numbers.

He wasn't expecting the snort of contempt from the shorter specimen with spiky black hair, or the two who looked alike enough to be family to role their eyes at each other and groan. Apparently they didn't take him seriously.

"Alright, you asked for it! Attack!" The Lizardmen charged forward eagerly.

"Oh please. You think you can take us on?" Gohan focused his energy into a ball in his hand. The small ball cast an eerie glow on their surroundings, and caused the Lizardmen to pause in uncertainty. Gathering enough energy to eliminate the entire troop in one blast, Gohan uttered a war cry and fired the ball at them.

Unfortunately, the results were less than spectacular, as the Saiyan had forgotten to take the energy barrier in to account. The energy ball made it only a few feet before it puffed and spluttered out of existence. 

"Uh… Oops," Gohan muttered, trying to ignore the amused grin on his Dad's face and Vegeta's whispered, "Idiot," remark.

The Lizardmen, who had been cowering in fear a moment before, laughed at this apparent failure.

"Get them," the leader hissed, and his men resumed their attack, only to be met with a flurry of punches from Gohan. Energy attacks may not work, but the Saiyan still had his super speed, and all the Lizardmen were quickly dealt with.

Piccolo pinned his former student with a stern look, "It might be better if you didn't use any energy attacks again. The light will give away our position."

"Yeah, yeah," the young Saiyan mumbled.

"If we are finished here, it is probably best that we keep moving, just in case somebody comes to investigate the flash," Kibito said, watching their surroundings for any further patrols.

Nodding in acknowledgement, the fighters headed back towards the castle under the cover of darkness.

***


	4. Chapter 3

**Better left Beyond Memory**

Chapter 3 

The guard blinked sleepily, suppressing a yawn as yet another uneventful night rolled on. His body had long since stopped complaining about the cold, and was now in an almost pleasant state of numbness.

"I don't even know why we're doing this. No one is going to come here. Hell, nobody probably even remembers this planet exists," his watch partner groused, rubbing his arms in an attempt to return feeling to them.

"Maybe tonight will be different," he said without any real conviction. They had guarded this tower faithfully for months at Darela's command. They might as well have been doing something else for all the action they'd seen.

His eyes wandered habitually back to the deserted plains. A low fog was rolling in, blanketing the ground with smoky tendrils and reflecting their torchlight, creating an interesting light show in the distance. He watched the lights, grateful for even the slightest break in the monotony of the landscape. Some trick of the light even made it seem as though they were coming closer.

"Intruders! Defend the tower," someone further down the wall shouted, jolting him out of his cold induced stillness. He looked about frantically for any kind of verification, but saw nothing except the odd lights bobbing eerily in the fog. A moment later he realised that the lights weren't just reflections from the fog, but the glowing forms of the enemy, who were approaching at an alarming speed.

For a moment he was torn between the thrill of the battle, and fear of the determined assault these attackers were making. It would be stupid for them to attack blatantly unless they were sure they would win.

Or maybe they were just stupid.

Drawing his weapons, he glanced briefly at his partner, who was still in shock at the news of any actual intruders.

"Are you coming?" he tossed over his shoulder, before racing off without waiting. There was no way he was going to miss out on this.

***

Gohan pulled back slightly, allowing his Dad and Vegeta to take the lead. The two full-blooded Saiyans had transformed to increase both their speed and the visual impact of their presence. They had lost at rock/paper/scissors and had become the delegated distractions. Gohan, having won the game, was to accompany Kibito and Piccolo into the tower where potentially more interesting opponents would most likely be.

Cries of confusion preceded their arrival to the wall. Guards scattered in all directions without any organization as the two Saiyans breeched the wall, pummeling anyone stupid enough to get in their way.

Following in the path of destruction, the other three made their way to the base of the tower. Two guards were stationed in front of the entrance, torn between guarding their post and assisting their comrades. The choice was taken from them as Piccolo, who was in the lead, rendered them unconscious with two quick strikes.

Racing through the doors, the small group emerged into the ground level of the tower. It was a large circular space, with only a single narrow staircase opposite the door to furnish it. The room was lit only by the weak glow of candlelight, but it was obvious the room was void of life, a fact that immediately set off alarm bells in Gohan's head.

He eyed the room with suspicion, "This can't be as easy as it seems."

"No," agreed Kibito, but was unable to see anything amiss.

Cautiously, Gohan stepped forward. Nothing happened. A few more careful steps brought him to the center of the room, but everything remained as it was. Maybe it really is this easy, he thought. To his surprise he made it all the way to the other side of the room without a single mishap.

"I guess it's safe," he told the other two who hadn't moved, watching his progress across the room and expecting the worst. Shrugging, he placed his foot on the first stair but halted when a brief hiss caught his attention.

Piccolo was the first to notice the brief illumination of strange symbols on the step Gohan had touched. Without thinking he was at Gohans' side in the blink of an eye and yanked the boy out of harms' way. A moment later the staircase exploded into a fiery inferno, one that would have incinerated the Saiyan.

Kibito walked quietly up behind them, examining the staircase as the flames slowly died, "Apparently Darela had placed a few wards of his own. That was no mere trap, but magic."

Gohan nodded, still stunned from his near charbroiling. Shaking his head to clear it, he started climbing the stairs as quickly as caution allowed. Every time they seemed to be getting somewhere they seemed to run into yet another problem that slowed them down. What if they were already too late? Shin may already be beyond their help, injured, perhaps even dead….

He forced himself not to think about it. Besides, he was fairly sure there would have been some noticeable sign if he had been killed. The death of a god was pretty significant after all. 

_This place must be getting to me_, he thought to himself. He wasn't usually so pessimistic, but this world made him feel so powerless. He couldn't fly, form energy or sense anything. It was disconcerting to have those abilities, which had been natural to him from childhood, suddenly beyond his reach.

He glanced over his shoulder, interested to see how the other two were holding up. Unsurprisingly, Piccolo looked as calm and collected as he always did. Only the hint of tension around his brow gave away his unease, and even that small gesture was visible only to those as familiar with him as Gohan was.

Kibito did not appear to be holding up so well. Beads of sweat had formed on his face and he seemed out of breath, despite their relatively slow pace. Belatedly, Gohan realized that the bodyguard was probably still weakened from his first encounter, but was too intent on finding Shin to give his own body time to recover.

The Saiyan frowned, wondering if he should suggest the large man stop and rest while he and Piccolo kept going, but at that instant Kibito looked up and caught his gaze. A scowl hardened his features, and Gohan realized that stray thought must have been loud enough for the Telepath to hear, for the message in his expression was clear. _Thank you for your concern, but if you say anything or try to stop me I will never forgive you_.

Gohan quickly turned his concentration back to the task at hand, watching the staircase for traps. He was slightly spooked by the fierce emotion in the Kai's usually taciturn expression. Although, he reflected, I shouldn't be so surprised. Even he could sense the powerful bond that Kaioshin and Kibito shared, although it's exact nature and depth were still a mystery to him. He wasn't entirely sure that he ever would understand it either, that a mortal such as he could even begin to perceive the depth of a friendship that had spanned millions of years.

Regardless, Kibito wasn't going to be deterred by something as trivial as his own exhaustion. He was going to continue his mission until he was reunited with Shin, or until he was dead. Gohan desperately hoped it was the former.

***

Darela paced restlessly in his tower. Something was happening down in the courtyard, but the guards were too occupied to answer his mental probes. In addition, he had felt the subtle magical pulse that indicated one of his wards had been activated. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing if the trespasser had managed to avoid the trap or not.

He snarled in frustration at his ignorance, kicking a defenseless chair across the room, smashing it against the unforgiving stonewall. He was unable to deal with the problem himself as the ritual was due to begin any minute. This planets' orbit brought it within the gravitational field of another. For a brief interval, the two planets would exert a tremendous force on each other as a result of being too close, and at this point the innate magic of this world would be intensified, allowing him to draw on that power to increase his chances of surviving the strenuous demands of the ceremony.  

He was realistic enough to admit his own limitations, that without assistance he would invariably fail to complete the task. The unusual manifestation occurred only once every five hundred years, and he had no desire to wait until the next juncture just because a minor problem arose this time.

He tried to contact the guards in the courtyard again, only to receive the mental equivalent of a busy signal. At the same moment he was aware of the sudden disconnection of his link with the sentries on the second floor of the tower, his second line of defense. 

"Useless creatures," he growled. It could only mean they were dead or unconscious, and that there was still an intruder in the building.

"Perhaps you should let me handle this," a new voice suggested. The magician turned to find a tall, green skinned being leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe. The being grinned, baring sharp fangs, "These pathetic excuses of soldiers aren't going to anything more than inconvenience our unwelcome guests."

"Manic," the Magician greeted. As usual, the warrior had managed to enter unnoticed, despite his impressive size. Manic had to duck slightly to avoid knocking his upswept horns on the doorframe as he fully entered the room. 

The large creature bowed, "Master. Let me deal with this problem for you. You shouldn't concern yourself with anything but the ceremony."

Darela considered this. Of all those under his command, Manic was the only one he believed was competent enough to take care of the problem. On the other hand, the warrior was the only one left on this level of the tower. If the intruders managed to get past Manic, he would have no one to defend him if they made it to this room. Of course they could be delayed long enough for him to complete the ritual. Or if they magic energies were increased as much as the ancient book had suggested, he may be able to defeat them on his own as well as concurrently performing the ceremony if they got this far.

One look at Manic's eagerness decided him, "Fine. Go have your fun." He waved the warrior away, turning to face the altar on which Kaioshin still slept. Manic departed as silently as he had come, leaving Darela with his own thoughts. He could feel the power of the planet growing. Very soon this matter would be decided, one way or another.

***

"How high is this thing anyway?" Gohan grumbled as they climbed yet another flight of stairs. Thankfully, the magical defenses had been few, and the guards little more then inconveniences. The tower seemed larger than it appeared from the outside, and Gohan's wild imagination suggested that these endless stairwells might just go on forever.

"I believe we are almost at the top," Piccolo stated, following closely behind his former student.

A slight illumination from up ahead propelled Gohan quickly around the curve of the staircase. They emerged into another round room, the fourth floor of the tower. Surprisingly, there was only one person present to oppose them. The large being shifted slightly at their entrance. He was easily as tall as Kibito, with dark green skin and slitted yellow eyes. Gohan watched his movements carefully, noticing the ease with which he shifted his weight into a ready stance. Unlike the previous opposition, this creature moved with self-assurance and a warrior's grace, though unfortunately he was unable to sense anything from him.

He didn't immediately notice Kibito's reaction, a stiffening of recognition, because he was suddenly struck by the feeling that he had seen this creature before. It was not his appearance that was familiar, but the subtle nuances of his movements, the easy stance he had fallen into and some of the features he possessed. Yellow eyes broken by thin slits of black, horns… and it suddenly clicked.

"Doesn't he… look a bit like Dabura?" he asked, scrutinizing the stranger. The more he thought about it, the more sure he was.

"It's Manic," Kibito said, finally finding his voice. "He's a demon, used to be one of Dabura's generals."

Gohan looked confused, "So what's he doing here?"

"I wouldn't know except…" Kibito's eyes widened with realization, "Of course! I can't believe I missed it. Darela was also a demon."

"And you didn't think to mention this before," Piccolo growled, eyeing the enemy with new wariness.

"I didn't realize. Darela's aura is so tainted by the magic he uses, it was impossible to recognize his race in the time we had to examine him," Kibito's mind worked quickly, "But that doesn't explain why he's here. Demons are rarely in servitude to others."

"I think I could guess," Gohan pointed to the demons' forehead where a stylized M symbol was clearly visible. They all recognized it. Babidi's symbol, also used by his son when he came to Earth to resurrect Buu, anyone baring that symbol was dominated by a wizards' control, forced to serve their wills. 

First magic, now demons, history seemed to be repeating itself. There had to be some sort of connection between the events a year ago and the confrontation unfolding now, but Gohan was clueless as to what it might be.

"Are you just going to stand around all day chatting?" Manic called out, capturing their attention again. Although he seemed outwardly calm, there had been a hint of impatience in his voice.

Gohan slid easily into a fighting stance, "Right, there's one of him and three of us, this shouldn't take too long." Manic grinned widely at this comment, and decided to prove how wrong they were. The three fighters looked on in surprise as the demon formed a simple ball of ki in his hands. He locked eyes with them as if to say, '_See this_?'

Piccolo frowned, "Doesn't he realize that ki doesn't work here?"

They were all surprised even more when he threw the ball at them, and it took a moment for them to realize it showed no signs of fading out of existence like Gohan's had. They hastily scattered to avoid it, and were blown off their feet and the ball connected with the floor where they had just stood, releasing a powerful shock wave.

"No way," the Namek said, quickly climbing to his feet. "How did he do that?"

Kibito stood more slowly and stiffly that the other, cursing his weakness, "It must have something to do with his connection to Darela. Perhaps because his own power is increased by Darela's magic, it allows his energy to survive in this worlds' atmosphere."

Any further questions were interrupted by the sudden upheaval of the ground under their feet. Once again the fighters were thrown to the floor, and even Manic was knocked off balance, although he recovered quickly.

"It's too late," he called, fighting to stay upright on the trembling floor. "The ritual has already begun!"

"Ritual?" Gohan whispered, but Kibito shook his head, indicating he didn't know. He could only guess that it was nothing good.

Piccolo thought quickly, there was only one probably choice of action. He drew himself to his full height in preparation. "You two must continue to the top of the tower. I will hold off the demon," he told them quietly.

"You can't be serious," Gohan gasped. Manic might not be as strong as Dabura had been, but he was still powerful, especially with the ability of projecting his energy when they could not. Piccolo would be at a serious disadvantage, and if they left he would have to face that danger alone.

"Don't argue. What ever this 'ritual' is, it can't be good for Shin. If you don't go now he may die," he gave his student one last hard look, "Go!" Before he charged into battle with the demon.

Manic was pleased, finally they had decided to challenge him. The green warrior rushed him, aiming to hit him while he was still contending with the shaking floor. To give him credit, the fighter was fast, and Manic was only barely managing to block the furious strikes that were sent his way.

However, he knew he had the advantage of energy blasts, and quickly fired one at his enemy, forcing some distance between them. He smiled in satisfaction when he realized the blast had disintegrated one of his opponents' hands, leaving the warrior in an intense amount of pain. 

He caught a glimpse of movement from the corner of his eye. The other two intruders had sneaked past him and were making their way to the top of the tower. _No matter_, he thought. It would only take him a moment to finish with the injured warrior, then he would go after them. He was caught off guard when his opponent lunged at him again with _both fists_? Apparently he had regenerated one while Manic's attention was elsewhere, and the demon was forced to go on the defensive again.

Maybe this would take longer than he expected.

***

Power coursed through his veins, greater than he had thought possible, despite the claims of the ancient texts. Darela marveled at the magnitude of it. The hum of magic filled the air even as the floor buckled under his feet. He had never imagined there would be so much of it! Regretfully, he shook off his fascination to focus on the altar before him. If he became too distracted, the ritual would fail.

Anticipation gnawed at him, true the magical energies he now felt manifesting was great, but it would be frail in comparison to the power he would absorb from Kaioshin during the ritual. The ties that bound the energies of the universe to the small god would be transferred to him, giving him control over reality itself. He would then tear holes in the boundaries between dimensions, causing the demon universe and the mortal one to collide. Armies of demons would spread across the universe, conquering, killing, controlling, all under his command. Where the former magicians had failed, he would succeed.

But he had to forget that now, it would all come to nothing if the rite failed. Clearing his mind, he raised the knife above the still from on the altar, chanting the words he had memorized from the text. The knife would once again act as a focus for his power, and at the completion of the chant he would thrust it into Kaioshin's heart. At the moment of his death, all the gods' power would be his.

He tried to ignore the sweat on his brow as he concentrated on focusing his magic. The words of the chant increased the sensation of magic in the air until it was an almost thick enough to breathe. He was faintly aware of Kaioshin's eyes fluttering open. He had stopped maintaining the spell keeping him asleep so it wouldn't drain his power when he needed it most. The God wouldn't be able to recuperate quickly enough to save himself before the spell was complete.

He was almost finished when he became alert to another presence within the range of his senses. Apparently someone had slipped past Manic, too bad for them. It took only a second for him to call fourth a bolt of power to fire at the presence, and he was dimly aware of a cry of pain. Without giving them a chance to recover, he thrust down with the knife, aiming for Kaioshin's chest.

Without warning the Magician was knocked aside, the knife striking the edge of the altar instead, leaving a deep notch in its' surface. For a moment he almost lost control of the spell, like a mad thing it struggled against his will, wanting to break free. Darela managed to focus again, bringing it back under his command. The last words had not been said, the Kaioshin was still alive, there was still a chance he could accomplish these things before the magic receded.

Scowling, he faced his attacker. He was amazed to discover a human, for he had heard of these creatures from when Majin-Buu had risen for the second time, and this one had the stamp of youth clearly on his features. Behind the boy, another being was trying to stand, clearly the victim of the Magicians' first assault. He instantly recognized Kaioshin's former fusion partner, the one who had escaped.

He turned back to the boy, eyes dark with hatred, "Leave now, and I'll consider postponing your death."

Rather than answer, the dark haired human launched a punch at his face. Sneering in contempt, the demon lashed out with a wave of power tossing the boy back into the wall with enough force to have it crumble slightly beneath him. A second more powerful wave had him writhing in agony and he collapsed weakly to his knees. Darela's expression melted into a smile as, like all demons, he took pleasure in the pain of others.

"As much as I'd like to extend your suffering, I have a ritual to complete. So I'll make this quick," he raised the knife which had remained in his hand, intending to slice the boys throat. Before he could commit the action, the blade was suddenly pulled from his grasp and thrown across the room out of his reach.

Enraged, he turned to the other intruder, but he was still in pain from the Magicians' first attack and had obviously not been the one to interfere. With sudden realization, he turned to regard the now conscious and apparently irate Kaioshin. Obviously the god had awoken and assessed the situation while he's been contending with the boy, allowing him to take knife from the Mage with a burst of telekinetic force.

The next thing he was aware of was the pain in his gut as the human boy announced his own recovery with an impressive punch. The blow sent him staggering back a few paces, but he recovered speedily and assessed his options. Not only had he lost the knife to aid in directing his power, but he was now faced with three opponents, decreasing his chances of getting to the Kai and completing the rite. Judging from the ire in their expressions, it was probably better to cut his losses and live to fight another day.

"This isn't over," he hissed, before teleporting away.

Relieved, Gohan collapsed back down to the floor. Apparently, Darela's magic was more potent then he expected. He grinned weakly at Shin, "Thanks for the rescue. He almost had me there."

"Thank you also," Kaioshin replied, looking a bit unsteady on his feet. He also had a hand pressed over the wound in his side.

"Hey, are you alright?" He asked, examining the god for any other signs of injury.

"I think…" Kaioshin sat down with far more grace than the Saiyan had, "…I will be after I rest." He resisted the urge to just fall asleep right there. Only a little of his energy had recovered while he had been forced into a magical slumber, and he wished for noting more than true sleep.

Kibito had also allowed himself to rest now that the immediate threat was gone. At least Shin was safe, and whatever Darela's plan had been had failed. He frowned in remembrance, "I hope the others are alright."

"Piccolo!" Gohan exclaimed, jumping to his feet. Without another word, he dodged past Kibito and raced down the stairs, hoping the Namek was ok.

***

Manic was breathing hard, a fact that surprised him. How long had it been since someone had challenged him as this one had? His opponent had turned out to be more trouble than he thought, despite his advantage of forming energy beams. Both had accumulated injuries though their strengths were still evenly matched. The demon wondered how much longer either of them would hold out, but was interrupted by a voice in his mind.

_Forget the fight. We're leaving_, Darela's voice floated over his consciousness.

For a moment, he wanted to ignore it and continue. His principles dictated that anyone who faced him wouldn't live to do so again. The sharp pain in his head as the Magician took notice of this feeling quickly convinced him otherwise. With a scowl, he allowed the Magician to work his magic and teleport him from the planet.

A moment later, Gohan entered the room searching for his mentor. Spying the Namek still in one piece, he sagged against the nearby wall in relief.

"You're alright," he stated, and Piccolo almost smiled at the emotion in the Saiyans' voice.

"Of course," he replied, dusting himself off and unwilling to admit that he had ever doubted that he would be. "Kibito and Shin?"

"Upstairs," Gohan pointed, "They're fine."

"Then I believe it is time we return home. This place is… disconcerting."

Surprise by even this small admittance of his feelings, Gohan smiled at his friend, "I agree. Let's go."

***

The two Saiyans faced each other with a wary respect. Surrounded by the bodies of the defeated guards, they were about to face off in a battle of their own.

"You first," Vegeta said, his expression tense.

Goku's expression hardened, "Alright, you win. Thirty two."

And the tension passed.

"Yes! You lose Kakarot! Thirty-five!" Vegeta crowed in victory.

"Aw man," Goku looked crestfallen. In the unspoken competition of who would eliminate the most guards, he had emerged the loser. Never one to wallow in defeat, he allowed the other Saiyan his fun. It was rare to see disconcerting Vegeta display any obvious emotion except perhaps for irritation.

He looked around, noticing the odd trembling of the ground was beginning to subside. Nothing moved in the courtyard, nor was there any perceivable signs of life from the tower. There was a feeling of finality in the air, for better or for worse the conflict was over. It was time to track down the others.

Nudging Vegeta to get his attention, they entered the tower in search of their comrades.

***

Alone in the tower, Kibito walked over to Kaioshin, assessing the smaller beings injuries. His eyes softened when he saw the wound in his side, the only visible effect of their broken fusion. Kaioshin's eyes rose to meet his own, his familiar smile forming on his lips. As always, there was unspoken understanding between them.

_Do not worry. It will heal_, Kaioshin said telepathically, referring at once to both the wound and the hollow ache left behind with the loss of their fusion.

_You shouldn't have made me leave_, Kibito replied, kneeling down to examine the wound with a gentleness others would have found surprising.

_I had no choice. He would have killed you, and I could never have forgiven myself if he had and I could have prevented it_. He lightly brushed the larger beings hand away, preventing him from performing a healing. _Save your strength_, he advised, _our troubles are not yet over_.

They became faintly aware of footsteps echoing up the staircase. Gohan and Piccolo appeared a moment later, both looking weary, but otherwise fine. With a quick nod of acknowledgement to the God and his assistant, Piccolo settled himself against one of the walls to wait. He needn't have bothered, as Goku and Vegeta appeared less than a minute later.

Goku quickly checked for serious damage and, finding none, smiled at the group, "I guess we won, huh?"

"Not quite. Darela managed to escape, and I don't think we've seen the last of him."

"Oh," Goku thought about this, "A job for another day, I think. We'd better get back soon or Chi-Chi's gonna be really mad."

Piccolo looked at Kibito, "Do you think you can get us back to the lookout?"

The bodyguard nodded, gathering his power for one last effort. A moment later, the tower was empty, as if their presence had never been. 

***


End file.
